A video by Maral’s visual collaborator Annapurna Kumar and animator Kevin Eskew.
LA-based artist Maral, whose album Push was one of 2020’s best LPs, has collaborated with Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear on a one-off track, ‘On Your Way’. Mixed by Trayer Tyron and mastered by Zac from Doom Trip Records, the track combines Maral’s samble-based approach with drums and synths from Lennox.
“Panda Bear and I started sharing sounds over quarantine and worked on a track together remotely,” Maral says. “I really love the way Panda Bear drums, so I wanted that to be the central focus of the track and for it to feel like we are jamming in a basement in an alien world.”
“It kind of feels like the way Persian classical musicians play in an ensemble, where the beat is very repetitive and the players come in and out doing their thing,” Maral continues. “I think that’s how I approach most of my music making – from the perspective as if i am playing in an ensemble or band.”
“I had a very open approach to working on this track and we just sent each other the track back and forth until it took its final shape, and created our own way of collaborating. Something we also talked about is how people should feel comfortable approaching music making in their own way and not feel constrained by the standard idea of what music should sound like.”
The track, which is released today on Bandcamp, is accompanied by a kaleidoscopic visualiser directed by Maral’s visual collaborator Annapurna Kumar and her partner, animator Kevin Eskew. “The track turned into something different from anything Panda or I have made,” Maral adds. “It’s not a vocal-heavy track, instead you can hear Panda flex his drumming and synth muscles.”
Last year, Maral participated in Fact’s Artist DIY series, in which she discussed the inspirations and process behind Push, her work with Annapurna Kumar, and the part that her Iranian heritage and living in LA plays in creating her art.
Buy ‘On Your Way’ now at Bandcamp. All proceeds go to Sweet Relief, a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.
Follow Maral on Instagram and SoundCloud. You can also follow Panda Bear on SoundCloud.
Watch next: Artist DIY: Maral
